Stars Activate, Reassign Luke Krys
The Stars activated defenseman Luke Krys from season-opening injured reserve on Sunday and subsequently reassigned him to the AHL’s Texas Stars, according to the minor league’s transaction log.
Krys, 25, will make his 2025-26 debut this week after completing his recovery from Achilles surgery. After helping Texas to a Western Conference Final appearance in last year’s Calder Cup Playoffs, Krys sustained a minor tear in rookie camp that ended up sidelining him for nearly four months.
Undrafted, the 6’2″ righty signed with Dallas out of Providence College in 2024. Now in the final season of his two-year entry-level contract, Krys has recorded four goals, 15 assists, 19 points, and a +8 rating in 73 AHL appearances since turning pro.
A smooth outlet passer with good two-way instincts, his development track doesn’t point toward him holding down a full-time NHL role, but he could be a capable call-up option down the line if the Stars opt to issue him a qualifying offer and retain him this summer. The Connecticut native’s +11 rating was second among Texas Stars defenders last year.
His return is a bit of a breath of fresh air for a Stars team that isn’t overflowing with organizational depth on the blue line, at least professionally. Dallas only had four NHL-contracted defenders in the minors who were available for recall before Krys’ return.
Stars Recall Lian Bichsel, Place Jamie Benn On LTIR
Oct. 7: Bichsel is back up from AHL Texas while Scott and Taylor have been reassigned, according to the NHL’s media site. While it reverses yesterday’s transactions, it’s not the end of the moves Dallas will make before they open their season against the Jets on Thursday. Demoting Scott leaves them with only 11 forwards on the active roster. They’ll need to move Benn to long-term injured reserve to open up the space to recall a 12th forward from Texas, which the club subsequently announced has happened. Dallas will have $1.88MM remaining in their LTIR pool – meaning they could actually recall two forwards, potentially Justin Hryckowian and Arttu Hyry, if they so choose.
Oct. 6: Like the Edmonton Oilers, the Dallas Stars have made several somewhat unexpected roster moves to make their opening night roster cap compliant. Earlier today, the team announced they’ve reassigned defenseman Lian Bichsel, while recalling forward Harrison Scott and defenseman Trey Taylor from their AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars.
The team also shared that captain Jamie Benn and forward Oskar Back have been placed on injured reserve at the start of the season. Additionally, Luke Krys, Kyle McDonald, and Chase Wheatcroft have been placed on the non-rostered injured reserve. All of these injury designations were anticipated.
According to PuckPedia, the Stars sit approximately $150K underneath the upper limit of the salary cap to start the season. Given this, Scott and Taylor’s inclusion on Dallas’ opening night roster is merely for cap compliance, and there’s no indication they’ll play a game for the Stars. On the flip side, Bichsel should be back on the roster after they place Benn on LTIR.
In fact, neither Scott nor Taylor appeared in a preseason game for Dallas, as both were cut relatively early from the team’s training camp roster. Scott, who was signed out of the University of Maine last season, went scoreless in six games for the AHL Stars to end the 2024-25 season. Meanwhile, Taylor was signed out of Clarkson University, tallying one assist in 10 games with Texas.
Dallas Stars Sign Luke Krys
4:04 PM: The Stars have made the signing official via a team announcement. It will be a two-year entry-level agreement for Krys in Dallas, and the contract will begin in the 2024-25 NHL season.
3:47 PM: The Dallas Stars are reportedly set to sign Providence College defenseman Luke Krys to an entry-level contract, per NHL.com’s Mark Divver (Twitter Link). The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro noted that this signing isn’t yet official, though he’s also heard it is likely. Krys just wrapped up his graduate year of college, and his first year with Providence, after previously playing for Brown University. He signs with Dallas as an undrafted free agent. His father, Mark, played 284 AHL games in the 1990s and his brother, Chad, was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2016’s second round.
Krys’ collegiate campaign was impacted by the 2020-21 COVID-19 season that saw the defenseman moving to the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks for five games with Brown not icing a team. He returned in the following season, managing a combined 55 points in 127 NCAA games. He also added 129 penalty minutes and a combined -53. Those stats include his performances with Providence this season, which saw Krys score a career-high six goals and 17 points across 35 games.
Krys is a stout, right-shot defenseman who makes effective plays in the dirty areas of the ice – showing a knack for playing physical and boasting strong passing that makes him effective in tight spaces. He never strays too far out of position, though he’s certainly aggressive. Krys will need to continue improving on his ability to make the right choice his first choice and learn when and how to seamlessly join the offensive rush. But even still, he’s a gritty and impactful defender on his own side of the red line. That fact alone will make him a welcome addition to the Stars’ depth chart.